Arise All Nations

Last night, Arise All Nations kicked off. Two hundred young people from many nations came to London to join us in Olympic outreach. I met people from Orlando, Florida, Finland, Sweden, Nebraska, Portugal, Uganda, South Korea, Holland, Ecuador, and many other places. They are sleeping in churches and going without showers for three weeks in order to spread the news of the Gospel to the nations that are present at the Olympics.

We had a time of worship, and at one point, we sang, "Let It Rain," each in our own language. The South Korean woman in front of me started doing a cultural form of dance to it, and the Swedish toddlers had streamers and were dancing across the front, and the Spirit of the Lord was heavily present.

We are an army for God, nations taking forth His word, and today begins our three weeks of intense evangelism. My DTS is still in teaching, as well, so we have teaching in the mornings, then walk an hour to minister at our church and do evangelism late into the night.

Please pray for the people with whom we come into contact. Pray that their hearts will be prepared for God's message. Please also pray for us, for the DTS, as we are in a time of teaching, but also evangelizing. Simple things like sleep and laundry are not going to happen, and we need prayer in order to stay on fire for God in this time. And finally, please pray for the 200 young people who have come from different nations to sleep on church floors and go out every day to declare the Gospel, that personal drama will be left behind, and that they will be filled with the joy of the Lord.

Learning the Mission

We have been in intensive teaching all week, because the Olympics start next week, and we will be doing outreach for the entire three weeks of it. The teachings have been really heavy, and all of us have been handed a lot from God that we have to sort through and confess and release.

Last night, after an intense day of teaching, my small group and I went to the Salvation Army's soup kitchen. Since we live in a community where English are in the minority, there were a lot of languages and ethnicities there. I sat at the tables and began talking to the men. I met one man who said he was the devil, but after a few moments, he let me pray for his seventeen year old son, who he wishes would get on the straight and narrow.

I know it sounds ridiculous, but in that moment that I was praying for Perry, the man's son, and holding his hand, I felt the most at home that I have in years. It's amazing to be here, in the middle of God's plan, and to be giving my time to tell others about Him.

It's been a hard week, and it will be even harder once Olympic Outreach starts, but we are doing it all for God and for His glory. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

here, where the Spirit of the Lord is

One of the things that most excited me about coming to Discipleship Training School was the teaching. We get to learn about Jesus and the Bible for at least five hours every day. In the past week, we've learned about prayer, intercessory prayer, hearing the voice of God, having a serving heart, and the creative ways to have a quiet time with God daily.

At the same time, we've briefly touched on the spiritual warfare that is taking place here in London. A lot of churches shy away from this topic, but it is real. We live in the Borough of Brent, where English people are in a minority. There is a mosque just down the street from a Hindu worship centre, and there are churches in between. There are also satanists, and apparently a curse has been placed on this house before. We are fighting a very real battle here in London, a battle to win hearts, not just from apathy, but from other gods. Every time I pop round to the shop, I see women in burkas. I see crazed men ranting on street corners. I see children with wide eyes and wondering hearts.

The whole YWAM team, and our DTS specifically, is in need of prayer. My fellow DTSers and I are a bit overwhelmed by knowing that we've come into the midst of spiritual warfare, but at the same time, God is equipping us. I am also learning about the manifest Spirit, and I am eager to see how that manifestation works out in the weeks to come.

However, it's not all heavy stuff happening here. We do work duties daily, which is the hour in which everybody cleans. I clean the living room daily. While I do it, I sing and listen to music and praise God. It's a great way to show love to those around me.

We also go to central London sometimes. Last night, I went to an organ concert and the evening service at Westminster Abbey. Worshiping God in a place that has been His for a thousand years was amazing.

I am so blessed to be here, and so thankful for all of your prayers and support.

And now, as you probably guessed, it is picture time!

 the bunting in Chinatown.

 

the whole DTS at the London Eye.

 A street in our neighborhood.

Jason, Valaurie, and me on the bus.

 My silhouette at the Eye.

 A touristy photo

The view from our rooftops.

London Calling

I am in London! I got here around noon yesterday (7 am Eastern time), after traveling for 24 hours.

The breakdown: I flew from Atlanta to Chicago, Chicago to Dublin, Dublin to London. There were thunderstorms in Chicago that almost put everything off, but my plane got in on time, and all was well.

I was picked up at the airport by YWAM staff, and they took me to my new home. I share a room with three other girls around my age, and so far, we've had some sessions, taken a few walks, and I rode down to Trafalgar Square today and read my Bible on the Underground on the way.

I am incredibly excited to see the way that God works here, and I thank you for your prayers and support.

We start Olympic Outreach quite soon, and afterwards we'll go immediately into outreach at the Notting Hill Carnival, the second largest carnival in the world.

I'm sorry this is so short; we're still settling in and having loads of community events in the house. But all is well, and God was faithful in the journey.

 My fellow DTSers, minus two of them. 

 The road right outside our house.

A stranger at the bus stop.